Is It Safe To Make Canned Bananas At Home?

Bananas are truly interesting fruits and are excellent subjects of study. We already learned the science behind why bananas are so overpowering in smoothies, and now it's time to learn the science behind why bananas are a bad choice for canning at home. First impressions might lead someone to think the radioactivity of bananas is their most dangerous aspect, but it might actually be their canned form that is the most deadly since it's a prime environment for botulinum toxin to be produced.

It is true that botulism can stem from a contaminated wound, but it can also be foodborne. When botulism-related bacteria are in certain environments, such as inside improperly canned bananas, they make spores that produce botulinum toxin. While it's possible for store-bought foods to contain botulinum toxin, it is far more common for foods canned, preserved, or fermented at home to be contaminated.

Low-acid foods (those with a pH higher than 4.6) are the most common sources of botulism caused by home canning. With a pH that usually falls somewhere between 4.5 and 5.97, bananas can all too easily nurture botulinum toxin if they are not properly canned. For this reason, carefully following the instructions in the USDA's Complete Guide to Home Canning is all the more important.

Botulinum toxin attacks the body's nerves, causing difficulty breathing and muscle paralysis; silent but deadly, it is not detectable by your eyes, nose, or tastebuds and can be fatal even in small quantities, regardless of how it's acquired. While botulinum toxin is vulnerable to heat, it is still better to throw out contaminated food instead of relying on boiling it or other heating methods. The risks are simply not worth canning your bananas at home, but there are safer and easier ways to enjoy your bananas, such as freezing them.